An inside look at the science of cleaning up and fixing the mess of marine pollution

We Love (Oil Spill Response) Technology: What’s on Show at IOSC 2011

It’s probably not that surprising that the office leading scientific coordination on more than 100 oil and chemical spills every year would be flooding an event called the “International Oil Spill Conference” (IOSC). However, we did find one thing about this conference that was both unexpected and impressive: the diversity of organizations and individuals who attended. For example, tucked among booths sporting fire boom and remote-controlled submersibles, we spotted an exhibit advertising language translation services. When you think about the magnitude and scope of last year’s Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill—where Vietnamese fishers in the Gulf of Mexico were affected—it makes perfect sense.

Spills are complex situations that require complex and innovative solutions. It’s clear that oil spills are “no win” situations, but taking a look through the exhibit hall at the IOSC conference, which wrapped up yesterday, you can’t help but be inspired by the wide range of people who work every day to develop the technology, strategies, and approaches needed to prepare for, respond to, and recover from devastating oil spills.

At the NOAA booth during IOSC 2011, Dr. Larry Robinson receives a demonstration from Heather Lilly on ERMA, a spatial data tool used during the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill. Credit: NOAA

Naturally, as one of the co-sponsors of the event, NOAA used our booth in the exhibit hall to reach out to nearly 1,000 passers-by to showcase our scientific expertise, along with the products and services that we use to combat spills. One of the major tools we highlighted was the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®), a tool that we publicly launched during the Gulf spill and is accessible via GeoPlatform.gov. Imagine it as the “Google Earth” of oil spills, sharing a similar look but layered with data critical to responders and public alike for identifying areas impacted by the spill, natural resources at risk (such as nearby wildlife), and scientific data collected by NOAA and partner scientists from land, sea and sky.

In addition to the flyers and brochures (and free loot!) that you’d expect at any conference exhibit hall, some organizations brought along high-tech equipment used for real-life spill situations, as well as some futuristic or experimental technologies that could be tested in future spills.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows off their emergency response truck at the 2011 International Oil Spill Conference Exhibitor Hall. Credit: NOAA

For example, one land vehicle, driven to the conference by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was fully equipped with sampling equipment, hazmat suits, and other devices that EPA responders use when responding to chemical spills on shore or on land.

Another vehicle, a kind that could be tethered to a ship, would operate like an “underwater helicopter,” a two-seated device with a dome that could be deployed at various depths to observe oil and the marine environment.

This SEAmobile Submersible, on display at IOSC 2011, acts like an underwater helicopter for detecting oil spills in the ocean. Credit: NOAA

The National Ocean Service's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) provides scientific solutions for marine pollution.
A part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), OR&R is a center of expertise in preparing for, evaluating, and responding to threats to coastal environments. These threats could be oil and chemical spills, releases from hazardous waste sites, or marine debris.

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Welcome to the Office of Response and Restoration's blog! We're part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Learn more at our official government site: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/.

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